TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

The pressure is mounting at Binion's Horseshoe Casino, where 14 ESPN television cameras are focused on the last day of action at the 35th annual World Series of Poker. Play begins at 1 p.m. PDT and is expected to continue until late tonight. The original field of 2,576 players that began the World Championship event on May 21 has been narrowed to nine:

Occupying Seat One at the final table is Mattias Andersson, a 24-year-old Swede who previously worked as a salesman in a toy store. Andersson developed his poker game on the Internet and has supported himself for the past year by playing online poker tournaments. This is the first time Andersson has played in the World Series of Poker. Heading into today's action, Andersson's chip count stands at $740,000.

Josh Arieh, who was born in Rochester, NY and now lives in Atlanta, will occupy Seat Two. A 29-year-old professional poker player who once worked as a courier for a law firm, Arieh won a gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker in 1999 - in the $3,000 buy-in Limit HoldEm event. Married with two children, Arieh began playing poker several years ago; this marks the fifth year he has played in the World Series of Poker. Going into today's play, his chip count stands at $3,205,000.

Al Krux, a 53-year-old professional poker player who lives near Syracuse, NY, will occupy Seat Three. Originally from North Carolina, Krux has worked previously as a diamond merchant and won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet in 1996 in the $1,500 buy-in Pot-Limit HoldEm event. He also made the final table in the main event in 1990, when he finished sixth. Krux is married and has four children. Heading into today's action, his chip count stands at $1,305,000.

Occupying Seat Four is Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, the 39-year-old chip leader heading into the final day. With $8,215,000 in chips, Raymer is in excellent position at the final table. The corporate patent attorney from Stonington, CT, is originally from North Dakota and worked around the country before settling down with his wife and daughter in the woods of Southeastern Connecticut. This is his first final table at the World Series of Poker. Raymer is known as "Fossilman" because he collects antique fossils, which he often proudly displays on the poker table. Raymer's motto: "I only appear to be wacko - in reality, I'm much worse."

In Seat Five, with a chip count of $4,920,000, is aspiring math teacher Matt Dean. The 25-year-old resident of Woodlands, Texas, learned to play poker online and at his local fraternity house on the campus of Southwestern University. Dean is single and enjoys playing sports, including tennis.

Former World Series of Poker champion Dan Harrington is in Seat Six. Harrington, who heads into today's play with a chip count of $2,245,000, is the 1995 world poker champion. He finished third in last year's world championship event. Harrington grew up in Boston and became a successful investor before turning to Texas HoldEm poker to make his "second fortune." Harrington is jokingly referred to as "Action Dan," a teasing reference to his rock-solid playing reputation. Now a resident of Santa Monica, Harrington has made three final tables at the World Series of Poker in the past 10 years.

Glenn Hughes, a.k.a. "The Big Cat," is a 38-year-old married father of two who resides in Scottsdale, Ariz. He is occupying Seat Seven, with a chip count of $2,275,000. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and is now semi-retired. Hughes has finished in the money several times at the World Series of Poker and other tournaments, but this is his first trip to the final table at the world championship.

The youngest player at the final table -- David Anthony Williams -- is sitting in Seat Eight. With his 24th birthday two weeks away, Williams heads into today's play with $1,575,000 in chips. Williams resides in Dallas, Texas, and is currently a student at S.M.U., where he's majoring in math and economics. He started playing Texas HoldEm poker seven years ago and credits "The Flying Dutchman" -- Marcel Luske -- as the player who helped his game most.

Mike McClain is a 39-year-old professional poker player from Lemoore, Calif. Occupying Seat Nine, he enters today's play with a chip count of $885,000. McClain earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and worked in the computer industry before turning pro in the East Bay area. He is married with two children.

In addition to the $5 million pay out to the winner, the tournament will pay $3.5 million to the second place finisher; $2.5 million to third; $1.5 million to fourth and $1.1 million to fifth place. The remaining finalists will each win a minimum of $470,400.

The total prize pool at the 2004 World Series of Poker reached $49 million, a new poker tournament world record. Last year's World Series of Poker tournament prize money was just under $22 million, and 2003 World Champion Chris Moneymaker won a top prize of $2.5 million.

Players from all over the globe plunked down the $10,000 it takes to compete in the World Championship event. Hundreds more won a place in the event through a variety of qualifying tournaments called satellites.

ESPN-televised coverage of the World Series of Poker begins July 6 and concludes September 14 with the broadcast of today's final table.

The World Series of Poker was hosted for the first time in 2004 by Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., which purchased the rights to the tournament earlier this year.

Founded 66 years ago, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. owns or manages through various subsidiaries 25 casinos in the United States, primarily under the Harrah's brand name. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its valued customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution and operational excellence and technology leadership.